Summary of IDF Activity in the Carmel Disaster Area and Arrival of Foreign Aid

Published on: December 3, 2010

As of yesterday noon, the IDF is operating to assist forces in the Carmel on their mission to extinguish the deadly fire in the area and evacuate the area’s residents, under the command of the Israel Police.

Early this morning, five planes from Greece carrying staff and equipment, a plane and helicopter from Cyprus, and a Bulgarian plane carrying approximtely 100 fire fighters landed in the Ramat David Air Force Base. The Bulgarian fire fighters will deploy at an IDF Home Front Command base, from which they will leave for their designated missions led by Israeli fire fighters.

GOC Home Front Command, Maj. Gen. Yair Golan is touring the area and commanding the forces operating in it.

Overnight, IDF search and rescue teams scanned the area of Tirat Ha’Carmel and Hof Ha’Carmel, installed lighting posts and helped in the evacuation of a retirement community. Home Front Command teams are also handling hazardous materials in the area.

Two hundred Home Front Command fire fighters in reserve were recruited in order to assist all forces operating in the area.

A substantial number of IDF forces is operating in the area, including infantry soldiers, navy sailors, search and rescue teams, cranes, vehicles, bulldozers, IDF fire
trucks, etc. IAF aircrafts assist in illuminating the area in order to assist the teams extinguishing the blaze, paramedics and doctors are treating those who were injured and teams of the IDF Personnel Directorate and Medical Corps are helping identify those who died in the fire.

As a result of the fire, three IDF bases in the area were evacuated yesterday.